Vanilla Ice Cream

We have been making our own ice cream for a couple years now. When we got our ice cream maker, we thought we would be making all these crazy flavors and experimenting all the time. And we do, however more times than not, we just make good ol', plain and simple, Vanilla.

Dress it up however you want, each time you have a bowl you can change it up with a new flavor. It just never gets old. It's that simple. And easy to make. 5 simple ingredients, and a couple hours is all you need. 

We always make sure we keep the freezer bowl portion of our ice cream maker in the freezer so that it's ready for us, as soon as our ingredients are ready. We had to wait for the bowl once, and we never let that happen again!

Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla

In medium bowl, combine milk, sugar, and salt. Using hand mixer, mix on low until sugar is dissolved. Once sugar is dissolved, add heavy cream and vanilla. Stir well. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Pour mixture into your ice cream maker, and follow manufacturer's instructions. Based on my maker, it will take about 20 minutes.  Enjoy immediately as a soft-serve consistency, or return to freezer for a couple hours for a more firm ice cream.


Source: Cuisinart

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Southern Sweet Tea

Yes, you read that right. This Midwesterner is going to post a recipe for Southern Sweet Tea!!

I have some really amazing friends, and one of those is Missy, who lives in that favorite state of mine, South Carolina. A couple years ago, Missy helped educate me on her way of making Southern Sweet Tea. From the amazing southern blogs I follow, I think that every Southerner has their own way of making Southern Sweet Tea, just like everyone has their very own potato salad recipe. 

There is no right or wrong.

As I was going back through years of facebook messages today to get Missy's notes on how to make the tea, I decided it was time to share this and keep the recipe where I can get to it much easier! 

Southern Sweet Tea

3 Family size tea bags
1 1/4 cups sugar (more or less, to taste)
1 gallon water, divided.

In saucepan, add 4 cups water and tea bags. Bring just to boil, and remove from heat. Let set, and steep for about 10 minutes.  Discard tea bags. Add tea and sugar to gallon sized picture. Stir until sugar is disolved.  Add remaining water, stir. Chill.

We enjoy this best after a day of chilling in the fridge.

Orange Drop Cookies

I helped out earlier this month at the local Relay for Life by selling flowers at our company table. My neighboring table was selling church cookbooks. You know what happened already, don't you? Yes, I bought one. It's the first local cookbook I have bought since living in this area, so I was really excited to see what I might find. One recipe grabbed me right away, and it is perfect for our "Summer" theme to Fill the Cookie Jar. 

Orange Drop Cookies were the ones to grab my attention. A nice bright flavor twist is a perfect change for summer, in my opinion. While my husband thinks every cookie should revolved around chocolate chips, 

I do like variety and trying new flavors out. How about you?

This recipe makes a cake like cookie. While that usually isn't what I am after in a cookie, I really did enjoy these, 

and I LOVED the flavor. Just the right amount of orange for my taste buds.

 If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Orange Drop Cookies

1 Orange (I used Navel)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 cup all-purpose flour*** (See note below)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.  Zest and juice orange, set aside.  In large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.   Add eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition. Add buttermilk, and zest and juice of ONE of the oranges.  Mix well.

In medium bowl, combine baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Whisk together.  Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing until combined.  (Dough will be sticky and not thick like regular cookie dough.)

Using small cookie dough scoop (1 tablespoon), drop dough onto lined baking sheets, several inches apart.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, just until edges are starting to turn golden. Cool for 5-6 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack.


Orange Glaze

1 Orange (I used Navel)
3 1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided
Orange food coloring (optional)

Zest and juice the orange.  In small bowl combine with 3 cups powdered sugar, . Stir until combined. And remaining powdered sugar as needed to reach desired consistency. Add food coloring, if desired, mixing well.  After glazed, let set until glaze is hardened.

Store in air-tight container 3-5 days.


*** If you cookie dough is to sticky, add up to 1/4 additional flour.

Make sure you take some time to see what the other home bakers have been creating.

 S'mores Sandwich Cookies by Jolene's Recipe Journal

Pink Lemonade Cookies by Palatable Pastime

Lemon Bars by A Day In The Life on the Farm

Double Strawberry Hazelnut Cookies by Cindy's Recipes and Writings

Red White and Blue Striped Tuiles by That Recipe

Easy Whoopie Pies with Ice Cream by Organized 31

Red, White and Blue Cookies by Cookaholic Wife

Basil Lime Cookies by Join Us, Pull Up a Chair

Orange Drop Cookies by Big Rigs n' Lil' Cookies